Genoa Church

Providing space for their growing congregation to connect was an essential focus of the church for this project. Connection space was severely lacking in their previous multi-use facility. The new gathering space has a sprawling footprint, connects both sides of the building, and features a warm café and lounge space. It also connects the worship center and children's area, making it the central hub for Genoa Church members on Sunday morning.

The lobby space, designed by Paragon 360 included many custom fabricated architectural elements such as ceiling clouds, wooden wall features, and custom-built furniture with integrated power. Distributed audio and esthetically pleasing acoustical elements brought a level of intimacy and warmth to the space. It also served as a small venue space allowing staff to grab a mic and coordinate volunteers or switch the lobby audio from background music to a live feed from the sanctuary. The Genoa Café included monitors to display church announcements and the café menu.

The audio design included four main areas such as main front of house audio, stage monitoring, broadcast and lobby systems. The front-of-house system included JBL loudspeakers, Allen & Heath consoles, and Shure microphones. Central to the design of the loudspeaker system was the height of the ceiling. Without a luxurious amount of height, we knew we would have to choose a loudspeaker system that could provide ample coverage without interfering with site lines. We also provided wireless hand-held mics and body packs for the church's theatrical uses. Paragon deployed its signature, close-proximity choir monitoring system greatly enhancing the audio experience in the space and for the choir. We deployed (22) JBL pendant speakers and (10) ceiling speakers in the lobby areas. The audio for video world also included another Allen & Heath console.

Another clear objective for the church was increasing the quality of their streaming services. Our design called for a mix of Panasonic PTZ and operated cameras to minimize the impact on their volunteer requirements. However, throughout the construction and the corresponding COVID-19 pandemic, Genoa Church decided video was more important than ever to their ministry's ongoing growth and extension. To meet this new priority and keep the project in budget as best as possible, we adapted their design to include three operated Blackmagic Ursa Broadcast cameras and a hand-held camera for dynamic coverage – all with networked control. Their final video system can support seven cameras. In addition our team delivered and installed (4) Panasonic projectors, multiple displays for digital signage, Ross switching with complete control room gear, and a Clear Com system.

To help Genoa Church reach their goal of more contemporary services, our lighting team designed a complete lighting system with Chauvet Ovation fixtures and moving lights controlled with a High End Systems Hedge Hog. The final lighting system provides the Genoa team with an accessible way to create dynamic presentations for Sunday morning services and theatrical productions. Full-color LED house lighting using Chroma-Q fixtures create an immersive experience for the audience. Illuminated scenic elements using Ilminarc and Environmental lighting products add significant texture, depth, and dimension to the room. The AVL networking equipment is contained in 3 centrally located racks, making servicing and maintenance a breeze.